APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday November 18, 2016
Quote of the day:
"I can’t accept the claim that the oppression of another people, the denial of basic human rights, and
racism and hate are necessary for the existence of State of Israel."
--Tamar Alon said this week when she refused to be drafted.**
--Tamar Alon said this week when she refused to be drafted.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- State Comptroller found faults in the hiring of Netanyahu’s lawyer in Likud – but removed his criticism
- Senior officials who saw the draft of the report on Operation Protective Edge: The criticism is more severe against Netanyahu and Yaalon
- New revelations in the submarine affair
- Exploitation of Palestinian laborers: State collected 200 million shekels, but does not pay sick days
- IDF plans for war in the north: Fortifications, digging and evacuating 78,000 people
- Dispute growing: Is a Jew who saved Jews worthy of recognition
- Study undermines the theory that Canaanites expanded Jerusalem
- ¼ page ad: 30 years to the fall of Ron Arad in captivity – Conference at Israel Democracy Institute
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The submarine affair – all the latest developments
- Under the water // Nahum Barnea on the submarine affair
- An investigation must be made // Yoaz Hendel
- (State Comptroller’s Operation Protective Edge) Tunnel report: Criticism of Netanyahu is more severe
- The city with the most male recruits going to IDF combat units: Modiin leads
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- (State Comptroller report on Operation Protective Edge: They knew (about the tunnel threat) and they concealed it (from the cabinet)
- “I vehemently opposed the acquisition of the submarines” – Yaalon fights off claims according to which the security establishment recommended acquiring submarines from Germany
- La Familia – Exclusive quotes from the Comptroller’s report: Netanyahu and Yaalon did not prepare the army for the tunnels threat // Ben Caspit
- Everything floats – the submarine deal threatens to sink more Israelis than enemies // Avi Benayahu
- Not an unfounded deal // Alon Ben-David
- Lieberman’s house (is in an expanding settlement outside of the blocs, while he says expansion should be only in settlement blocs)
- Closed skies – Cancellation of (El-Al) flights continues and El-Al administration claims the pilots’ demands of another 270 million shekels is based on false data
Israel Hayom
- Prime Minister: “Acquisition of the submarines – as per the law, according to the IDF’s needs”
- I asked for 6 new submarines, the Prime Minister agreed to 3 // Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former head of National Security Council
- Rabbi Amar: The interview and the storm (over his comments about LGBT community and Reform Jews)
- Modiin Corps – City of Modiin has highest percentage of males recruited to combat units
- Crisis in El-Al worsens: More flights were cancelled
- The hill of dispute – Fate of a small community that is supposed to be destroyed next month is shaking up the country // Mati Tuchfeld and Efrat Forsher
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's conduct in two different affairs – a possible conflict of interests in the acquisition of German submarines and the concealing from the security cabinet what the extent of the tunnel threat was during Operation Protective Edge - made today's top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Separately, Netanyahu will likely soon be investigated in another affair as a criminal suspect on suspicions of corruption and unlawfully receiving gifts and favors from wealthy patrons.
Contradicting the Prime Minister’s Bureau’s statement, former defense minister Moshe Yaalon said he vehemently opposed the acquisition of submarines because it had no operational purpose and he called for an investigation in the affair. Media reports revealed a possible conflict of interests that may have motivated the acquisition. Maariv’s political commentator Ben Caspit wrote in today’s paper: “Netanyahu advances the acquisition of submarines in the billions (of shekels), his personal lawyer David Shomron is escorting the deal as the representative of the supplier, and the two – who spend many free hours a week together in the closest intimacy – explain to us that they simply didn’t know about it. I hope that they won’t ever say that when they are connected to a polygraph.” Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit asked State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan Thursday to explore whether to launch a probe.
**In other concerning news, Channel 10 reported that the Shin Bet was boosting the protection of High Court Chief Justice Miriam Naor, who ruled against delaying the demolition of the Amona outpost built on Palestinian land, founder of radical racist right-wing organization Lehava waved a rag with Arab-Israeli journalist Lucy Aharish's photo printed on it during a Jerusalem event in memory of Rabbi Meir Kahane, and at the IDF's induction base, draftees spat on and cursed two conscientious objectors who said they refused to serve. Tamar Alon of Tel Aviv and Tamar Ze’evi of Jerusalem, were both sentenced to two days imprisonment by a military tribunal, Haaretz reported. “I can’t accept the claim that the oppression of another people, the denial of basic human rights, and racism and hate are necessary for the existence of State of Israel,” Tamar Alon wrote in a statement.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.